Birgit Nilsson - Senta's Ballade

Birgit Nilsson singing Senta's Ballade (Johohoe! Johohoe!) from Wagner's Der Fliegende Hollander, conducted by Leopold Ludwig.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Birgit
• Nilsson
• Wagner
• Flying
• Dutchman
• Opera

[vkaminsky]

Does anyone know who the conductor is? Is it Leopold Ludwig? Thanks.

[mxl2003]

Yes, Leopold Ludwig.

[Rae1028]

Another laser-precision performance from La Nilsson, with such wonderful tone!

[LJockeAndersson]

How can you compare Birgit Nilsson to Jessye Norman?

[dapheneo]

Superbe ! J'ignorais qu'elle avait chante Senta.

Ecoutez Crespin...Superbe aussi : avec une autre voix.

Nilsson a une precision dans l'aigu que Crespin n'a pas ; c'est simplement une autre artiste mais c'est tout aussi spectaculaire.

[federricoilgrande]

La migliore, ascoltate anche la Varnay, la Flagstad, la Stemme, la Sutherland, la Norman, la Jones....Birgit é di gran lunga la migliore Senta ::))

[semiramide1945]

Does anyone know if she ever sang this role on stage? Someone observed in another Nilsson audio (Wie Aus Der Ferne with Hans Hotter) that there was something in some of Senta's lines that she did not feel was congenial with her personality, though vocally she could have done the opera with no problems. She sang much more difficult parts. Comparing her to Norman in this scena is like having Coca-cola compared against fine champagne. The voices so different. Ernesto Vasselli

[soprano1176]

This is superb, I love the conductor as well! Great tempi! Of course Birgit was out of this world. <3

[kokkelifiinu]

@michael72401 :

English is my fifth language.. would be interesting to know how many languages you speak. Why are people taking so personally if I happen to like Senta´s ballad more from Jessey Norman? Birgit Nilsson beats up many singers as well as Jessey Norman in many other peace. and.. by the way, my teacher, was studying with Nilsson, so I have some understanding about singing technique that she is using.. and she had a great sence of humor, as well as she was very self critical. I <3 her

[michael72401]

@kokkelifiinu Learn to spell English before you comment

[agnesrobert]

Qu'importe la qualité du son qui, évidemment, ne peut rivaliser avec ce qu'on fait à notre époque, mais... quelle voix ! Quelle interprétation ! Une merveille !!

[federricoilgrande]

Ma come cavolo si fà a paragonare una vera wagneriana, e delle più grandi, con una simil wagneriana??? La gente non ha più orecchie....Io comunque godo dei miei ricordi, di una Brunhilde superlativa, Isolde sensazionale al secolo Birgit Nilsson ::))

[MastersoftheOpera]

Nilsson has excellent technique for this aria. She has legato in moments like 1:42 - 3:00 and the middle of the aria from 4:08 to 5:30. Her tone is light, wistful & magical.  Her voice was big but she had moments of peaceful lyric breath control. I do like Jessye Norman singing this as well but whereas Norman's 1980's Wagnerian roles were limited, Nilsson could sing ANYTHING Wagner wrote for soprano. There's no denying that Nilsson was the greatest Wagnerian soprano of all time.

[Operanut9]

LJocke, Good question. I guess the youtube generation has no idea of Nilsson's uniqueness. Norman is great but she certainly is far from Nilsson's class.